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<title>Help content providers API (3.3)</title>
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<h1>
Universal Intro changes in Eclipse 3.3</h1>

<p>
Chris Goldthorpe April 30, 2007</p>

<h2>
Overview
</h2>

<p>In the past users who install new features from an update site have a hard 
time determining what exactly has changed on their system. There may be new 
toolbar icons and menu items but it is hard to determine exactly what has 
changed. A new feature in Eclipse 3.3 provides a means for developers&nbsp; to 
draw attention to their  plugins and features when they are newly installed. 
If a plugin has universal intro content then the first time Eclipse is restarted 
after installing that plugin the Universal Intro page will be displayed with the 
new feature shown at the top and with a yellow background to add prominence.</p>

<h2>
Details
</h2>

<p>When Eclipse with&nbsp; Universal Intro enabled is started it counts the 
number of plugins contributing&nbsp; Intro content (Universal Intro is enabled 
by default for the Eclipse SDK, Platform and most other Eclipse downloads) . If 
the number of plugins has increased it will cause Welcome to be displayed, 
regardless of whether it was open before, and open to a page containing new 
content. If more than one page contains new content it will break the tie using 
the same order as the order of the links at the top of each page, for the 
Eclipse SDK this is overview, tutorials, samples,&nbsp; whatsnew.</p>


<p>In subsequent launches of Eclipse the new content will move to its natural 
position based on the theme and will no longer have a yellow background.</p>


<h2>How to create a plugin with Universal Intro content</h2>


<p>A PDE template allows for the creation of a new plugin with intro content or 
the addition of universal intro content to an existing plugin. Both are 
described below.</p>


<h3>To create a new plugin with universal intro content</h3>


<p>Step 1. Start the PDE wizard by selecting File-&gt;New-&gt;Project-&gt;Plug-in 
project.</p>


<p>Step 2. On the first page of the wizard give the project a name and accept 
defaults for all other fields, hit &quot;Next&quot;.</p>


<p>Step 3. On the next page select &quot;Custom plug-in wizard&quot;</p>


<p>&nbsp;<img border="0" src="../images/intro_newPlugin2.png" width="500" height="500"></p>


<p>Step 4. Check the template &quot;Universal Welcome Contribution&quot;. Leave all other 
extensions unchecked. Hit Finish.</p>


<p>&nbsp;<img border="0" src="../images/intro_newPlugin3.png" width="499" height="647"></p>


<p>Step 5. Launch Eclipse. Notice how the Welcome opens to a page which 
prominently displays the new contribution.</p>


<p>
<img border="0" src="../images/intro_newContent.png" width="948" height="696"></p>


<h3>
To add new intro content to an existing plugin</h3>


<p>Step 1. Open the plugin mainfest file META-INF/MANIFEST.MF for the plugin 
project</p>


<p>Step 2. Select the extensions tab in the PDE editor</p>


<p>Step 3. Click the &quot;Add...&quot; button</p>


<p><img border="0" src="../images/intro_pde.png" width="334" height="390"></p>


<p>Step 4. Select the extension wizards tab in the Extension Point Selection 
dialog, select &quot;Universal Welcome Contribution:&quot; hit &quot;Next&quot;.</p>


<p><img border="0" src="../images/intro_pde2.png" width="500" height="670"></p>


<p>Step 5. On the next screen hit Finish and save the editor contents.</p>


<p>Step 6. Launch Eclipse. Notice how the Welcome opens to a page which 
prominently displays the new contribution.</p>


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